Cain is on my Christmas list
by K. A Zerlang
Summary: Just short little fluff fic. DGxCain, of course. Even though the Holidays are over, it's never a bad thing when there is spiked eggnog involved. Slight Jeb/Az too. Hehe, sorry, I suck at summaries:
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Unfortunately, I don't own Tin Man, however much I wish I did.

This is just a little Cain/DG fluff that I wrote. I hope you like it!

DG held the small notebook close to her as she contemplated what to write. Her mother had given her the notebook son after the double-eclipse, so that she could write down her thoughts on the whole thing.

So much for that idea.

Up until now, the small book had been filled with doodles and senseless poems. But now winter was falling in the OZ, and DG wanted to write out a Christmas list, just for old times sake. She glanced at the paper and wrote: "My Christmas List" in neat letters across the top of the crisp white page. Then, she stopped. What could she possibly want? Everything she ever wanted was right here around her. Her mother and father, Az, Glitch, Raw...

And then it hit her. The one thing in the entire world that she wanted. Lowering her pen to the page, she wrote in the number one spot:

Wyatt Cain

A/N: So? What did you think? It was my first fic, ever, and DG and Cain are so perfect! Lol, anyway, I think I'll continue, but I'm not sure. Tell me if you like it and think it deserves to have another chapter!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for all the lovely reviews! You guys totally made my day! Anyway, for you, I will add a new chapter as soon as I can And this time, I'll try and make it much longer! Oh, by the way, if you read the story before I edited it because of my boneheaded mistake (Thanks for catching that!), I'm so sorry. I completely forgot that Ahamo was FROM the Other Side. So I changed it to Ambrose. Just a little note:)

Disclaimer: I don't own the tin man, unfortunately

Chapter II

As night fell, the light in DG's room slowly faded until she only had a sliver of light left, before she would have to turn on her bedside lamp. It had been a few days since she had last picked up her notebook, a few days since she had last seen her Christmas list.

Earlier that day

DG walked slowly up to her mother and Ambrose, who were engaged in a lively conversation. She had desperately wanted to ask them a question, yet now she was slightly nervous. She couldn't for the life of her figure out why.

When The Queen and Ambrose looked up from their conversation, their eyes alighted on DG, nervously fidgeting with her necklace.

"Yes, darling?" her mother asked, sensing the question abut to be asked.

"Um, well, you see, since its now winter, I was wondering if maybe I could, well, um, put up a tree in my room?" DG asked, very fast. The Queen and Ambrose looked at each other, confused.

"Why in heavens name would you do that?" The Queen asked lightly. It wasn't as if she was accusing her daughter of being, well, slightly off her rocker, just a simple question.

"Um, well, on the Other Side, there is a holiday that falls at the end of December, which I'm guessing is about a few weeks away, maybe. Its called Christmas, and you put up a tree and spend time with family and write out Christmas lists of thing you would love to have…" she stopped, suddenly thinking of her own Christmas list, sitting next to her bed in the little notebook.

Ambrose and the Queen looked at each other as if to say, "Why not? It could be fun." Then they turned back to DG.

"Do as you wish darling." Her mother said evenly.

DG's face lit up in a bright smile.

"Thank you!" she laughed, hugging them both. Then she raced back up to her room, stopping on the way to see if someone might be kind enough to go out and look for the perfect tree with her. And who better to look for the perfect tree than her (and our) favorite Tin Man, Cain?

A/N: Ok, so I wrote you a longer chapter! Not much longer, I admit, but I still hope you like it! Anyway, I really hope to have the next chapter up by tomorrow, but stupid finals are getting in the way of precious fanfic time! I promise I'll get it up by at Thursday eve at the latest.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Ok, so, I really should be studying, but I don't feel like it. So I thought I'd give you guys a little something to hold you over until the next chapter! It's a little scene before the one where DG asks Cain to come and find a tree with her. You know you want them to interact finally, and trust me, they do…

Disclaimer: I don't own the Tin Ma, which is probably a good thing…

Chapter 3

DG had just come from asking her mother about the Christmas tree. A smile lit up her face as she started to skip towards Cain's room. She let out giggle.

For some reason, she was in a great mood.

Just as she came closer, she increased her speed a little. Suddenly, she crashed into large something. She and the something fell to the floor. DG closed her eyes as they fell to the floor, with her falling on top. They hit the ground with a loud THUD! She kept her eyes closed for a second, then opened them slowly, preparing to see the poor courtier who happened to have been in her way. Then, she let out a little gasp.

The something was Wyatt Cain.

Not only did she just crash into him, she was lying on top of him, and staring open-mouthed at him, her face mere inches from his.

His mouth quirked up in the corners, smirking at her.

"Hey Princess. Happy to see me?"

A/N: Ok, so there you go. Something to keep you interested. I know its short, but I did say it was a cut scene! K, well, review and tell me what you think if you want Aren't they just the cutest??


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I finished Finals!! Yay! Now I have more to write fanfics for you guys. Anyway, here is the new chapter, cause I know your all wondering what happens with Cain and DG, and when that list will come back into the picture. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Although Wyatt Cain is on MY christmas list too smirk, I do not own him, or anyother aspect of the OZ or Tin Man. So sad.

Chapter 3: Refresher Course:

"Hey Princess, happy to see me?"

Chapter 4:

DG stared down at Cain her mouth open.

"Um, hey Cain. I was looking for you!"

"Hm, well, you found me." He said dryly. DG blushed, but didn't move. Cain glanced down at their position, and the smirk became more pronounced.

"Uh, Princess…" he said, gesturing to the way they were laying on the floor. DG let out a gasp, and placed her palms upon Cain's chest, pushing up lightly. She couldn't help notice how his chest felt under her hands. She involuntary let out a light shiver. Then she pushed herself up all the way, getting off of him, blushing furiously. Cain sat up and stood up and then picked up his hat, dusting it off and putting back upon his head. He turned back to DG, resuming his usual passive behavior.

"He said you were looking for me, Princess?" He said lightly. DG blushed again. This was not how she envisioned this conversation. But oh well.

"Yes. I was. You see, my mother has consented to let me have a Christmas tree in my room, and I was wondering if you would consent to come and search for the perfect tree."

Cain looked at her blankly.

"Uh, why?"

"Why what?

"Why would you put a tree in your room? What the point?" he asked her, completely bemused. DG made a face at him, but began to tell him why.

"You see, back in the Other Side, there is this holiday called Christmas, and to celebrate it, you put up a tree and decorate it, and then, on Christmas, there are presents under the tree, and you can open them and have a nice surprise! You see, its fun!" she told him. He just looked at her.

"Oh come on Cain, please? You could cut down the tree and everything!" she pleaded. Cain looked down at her and sighed.

"Oh fine. I'll do it. You go get on some warmer clothes princess, or you'll freeze. Then, we can go and get an ax to cut down the silly tree." DG's face broke into a smile and turned to go change her clothes. Cain followed her at a safe distance, watching her as she let out the occasional skip or hop. He couldn't help but smile at her slightly childish happiness over such a small thing.

When they reached her room, DG ordered Cain to stay outside.

"I can't have you looking at my butt while I'm changing!" she teased him. A slight pink tinge of pink fleeted over Cain's handsome face.

"I wouldn't…I mean…Uh" he said, stuttering slightly over the words. DG giggled, and flounced into her room, closing the door firmly behind her. Cain leaned one shoulder against the wall, watching as people rushed by,hurrying to their next task.

After a few minutes, DG opened the door and Cain turned to look at her. His eyes went up and down her body, only to see if she was dressed warm enough, of course. He gave her a slight bow.

"Ready to go princess?" he asked solemnly, gazing at her as she gently walked to his side.

"How many times do I have to tell you? Its DG!" she said, lightly hitting his arm. He gave a tiny roll of his eyes and then asked.

"Fine, are you ready to go, DG?"

DG smiled, and nodded, and they walked down the hall to go fetch an ax, so the hunt for the perfect tree could commence.

A/N: And that is where I leave you. I know, I know, I can't wait for the tree hunt either, but I'm still working out how to write that one. Maybe I'll post it up at one in the morning sometimes. That's when I actually write semi-well Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. Feel free to leave a review!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Well, now I'm completely done with finals, and its winter break, so now I can devote my time to writing more chapters. I've been horrid and neglectful, and I haven't written in a very long time, so here you go, chapter five. I hope you like it!

Disclaimer: However much I would LIKE to own the Tin Man, I don't. Sad, sad, but oh well.

Chapter Five:

DG and Cain walked down the hall, side by side, until they reached the front door of the castle. The doorman quickly went to attention and opened the door for the two, glancing at them as they passed through. DG thanked the man and hurried through the doorway, grabbing Cain's arm and dragging him with her.

When they got outside, DG gasped and looked around happily. There was a thick blanket of sparkling white snow. She bent and picked up a handful of the cold white stuff and laughed, throwing it into the air and watching as it fell back to earth. She turned to Cain.

"Well, come on. How can we cut down a tree without an ax?" she asked him, leading him towards a shed on the side of the castle. When they reached the shed, DG smiled at the guard.

"Can we please enter to get an ax?" she asked him. He straitened up and nodded, smiling back at DG. He turned to unlock the door, and when he did, Cain brushed past DG to get the ax. After a moment, he came back out, an ax over his shoulder. DG couldn't help but smile as he looked at him. He looked very rugged and woodsman-esque. She thanked the guard and then she and Cain set off towards the small forest on the edge of the castle grounds.

When they got there, DG started to race around and look at trees. Cain followed her at a distance, being less inclined to cut the thing down anyway. He still didn't get why she wanted a tree, of all things, in her room. DG looked over the trees carefully.

"This one is too short, this one is too tall, this one is too wide, this one is too skinny…" and so on and so forth were her comments. After a while, Cain gave an exasperated sigh and leaned up against the trunk of a tree. Then he heard a shout come from DG.

"CAIN! I found it! I found the perfect tree!" she called. He walked over to her and looked over the tree she picked.

"You sure you want this one Prin- uh, DG?" he asked her. She gave a look and nodded.

"Yup! This one is perfect!"

Cain sighed again and began to chop at the tree's base. DG sat and watched the process.

Soon, the tree fell and Cain looked back at DG. But before he could open his mouth to ask if she were ready to head back, he was hit in the face by a large snowball. He spluttered as he wiped the snow from his face.

"What the heck?" he exclaimed. DG was there on the ground, laughing hysterically.

"You're kidding me?" he asked her. She shook her head and began to make another snowball. Cain narrowed his eyes and bent, picking up some snow and patting it into a ball. Before DG could throw the one she made, Cain threw his and hit her squarely in the chest. She was caught by surprise, and dropped her snowball.

"Oh no you didn't!" she laughed. Cain looked at her, and she saw a challenge in his eyes.

She bent and picked up the dropped snowball, and, straightening, threw it at Cain. He easily dodged and began making another snowball. So the great Cain/DG snowball fight commenced.

Every time DG would pick up a snowball, there Cain would be, snowball in hand, and ready to throw it. She would throw hers and he would throw his, and soon DG was breathless from laughter. She reached down to pick up a snowball, and when she looked back up, Cain was nowhere to be found.

"Cain?" she called softly. Then, she was hit in the back with a snowball. Surprised, she fell forward, doing a face-plant into the snow. When she got back up, there was Cain, laughing, but still right beside her.

"You ok, kiddo?" he asked. DG made a face at him and said,

"Yeah, I'm fine, no thanks to you!" Cain stopped laughing and helped her up.

"I think I win." He said seriously.

"HA! No way! I won, you just won the battle at the very end!" she laughed. Cain rolled his eyes and led her back to the tree. Without s much as a grunt, he lifted the heavy tree onto his shoulder and started back towards the castle. DG followed him, marveling inwardly at his strength, and wondering what it would be like to be carried in his arms. She shook herself and gave a little shiver that had nothing to do with the cold.

When they reached the castle, Cain set the tree down in the main hall. Immediately there were several men, who picked up the tree. They turned to DG, awaiting further instruction.

"Um, can you please bring it up to my room?" she asked them lightly. They gave her the same look Cain did, but nevertheless brought the tree to her room.

As she and Cain began their way up, she gave a little sigh.

"I swear, I'll never get used to this whole princess thing!" she said when Cain looked at her curiously. Cain gave a low chuckle and turned back.

"Don't worry, it'll come to you sooner or later." He said. She made a face.

"I hope so." With that, they walked in silence until they reached her room. As they entered, DG saw that the men had set up the tree so that it was in the corner near the fireplace. There was a large fire burning brightly, shedding an orange-ish glow around the room. DG glanced out of the window and noticed for the first time that it was getting dark outside. She glanced at Cain and an idea struck her.

"Cain, why don't you stay for a little bit? You must be freezing cold. You could warm up a little bit." She asked. He looked at her and opened his mouth, fully intending to say "No", but what came out was entirely different.

"Alright. I'll stay for a little bit." DG's face brightened as she gave him a smile. He looked at her and gave her a tiny smile in return.

"Great! I'm gonna go change into some PJ's. You go ahead and warm up by the fire." She said and with that, she went into her closet, shutting the door so that he couldn't see her change.

Cain slowly moved towards the fire, trying to figure out why he said yes, when he fully meant to say no. He removed his heavy jacket and hung it over the back of the couch. He sat down, letting the warmth of the fire seep into his body. He heard DG open the closet door and turned, watching her as she crossed the room to the couch.

She was dress in PJ's that were made of silk, and they clung to her body, making Cain look at her in a new light. He then shook himself, telling his mind that she was a princess, she was off limits. DG came and sat down next to him. She smiled at him and said

"Thanks for coming with me today Cain. It would have been much less fun without you."

He gave a noncommittal grunt and glanced at the tree.

"So, tell me again why you wanted this thing in your room?" he asked her. He wanted to keep him mind away from the fact that she was sitting very close to him. She rolled her eyes and said

"Well, in the other world, there is this holiday, called Christmas. And, during Christmas, you set up a tree, and you decorate it, and then, on Christmas day, there are presents underneath it. Of course, that's not the only thing I like about it. I like spending time with my family and friends, and making gingerbread houses, and decorating the tree, and making a Christmas list, and all those things." She explained. Cain nodded slowly.

"So, what is a Christmas list?" he asked her. She blushed, thinking of the one she made not that long ago.

"Um, a Christmas list is a list of the things you want most in the world. It's kinda fun to make them. I mean, I like to make them." She said. Again, he nodded. Then, they sat in silence for a while. DG stared at the fire, and soon, she felt herself being lulled to sleep by the crackling of the flames and the low, soothing sound of Cain's breath. She closed her eyes and lay her head down on the couch pillow. Cain looked over at her and smiled slightly. She was already asleep. He slowly got up and picked her up gently. Her arms wrapped themselves around his neck and she nestled her head against his chest.

He brought her over to her bed and laid her down gently, pulling back the covers and then tucking her in. She smiled lightly in her sleep, and Cain couldn't help but brush away a stray hair that fell into her face. Then, as he was leaving, he noticed something sticking out from under her pillow.

It was a notebook.

He shouldn't have done it. He really shouldn't have, but he couldn't help himself. He pulled out the little notebook and glanced at it. DG shifted slightly in her sleep, and Cain froze, hoping she didn't catch him snooping around. Flipping open the cover, he glanced at the drawings. He turned the page, expecting there t be more of the doodles, but there was a list. A list titled "My Christmas List". He looked at it, remembering what she said.

"A list of things you want most in the world."

"I wonder what she could want, she has everything." Cain wondered to himself. He glanced down at the list, and almost dropped the book. There, written in the number one spot, was his name.

A/N: Ok, so he found the list! And, I gave you a long chapter! Yes! Two things that I wanted to get done. Anyway, I hope you like the chapter, and I'll try to get the next one done as soon as possible. Oh, and just a little tidbit that I though of. There must be a bow involved in the story somehow. I'm not sure how, but if you have any ideas, feel free to let me know.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Hey guys! So, I was watching Youtube videos, and I got inspired to write another chapter. Anyhoo, this is really short, but I hope you like it anyway.

Chapter 6:

Cain read that list over and over again, until it was engrained in his mind. This image of his name on the page had shocked him to no end.

"Maybe, maybe she meant Jeb. I mean, he is a Cain too." He thought desperately. He glanced at the page again. Nope. Still his name. Still Wyatt Cain.

Oh boy.

He closed his eyes, thinking. But no matter how he tried, he couldn't get her out of his head. His eyes opened and he took in her sleeping form.

It was better just to leave. Leave, go to his room, get some sleep, and forget about ever seeing the damn list. Forget that she wanted him. Forget that he wanted her. Abruptly, he shut the book with a light snap.

"NO!" His mind shouted. "No. Just put the book down, and go away. It's better if you forget her.

So Cain put the book down on her bedside table and turned back towards the fire to get his coat. He picked it up and put it on, then turned towards the door. He crossed the room to leave, but just as he reached the door, he turned once again to the sleeping form of DG.

"It can't work." He whispered in the darkness, mostly to himself. Then he left, shutting the door lightly behind him.

A/N: So, I know it's really, REALLY short, but I thought you might need something. Oh, and if anyone noticed the little mistake he made, feel free to point out his stupidity. Oh sorry. I'm being mean to our poor Cain, even though I love him oh so much, he is the most STUBBORN man I have ever heard of! Anyway, you know us authors thrive on reviews, so feel free to leave one


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Hey guys! So, MySpace is boring me, and I can't stop thinking about the Tin Man so I thought I'll write the next chapter! I'll make it longer than the last one, I promise!

Disclaimer: I don't own the Tin Man, or anything in their world. Except for Lydia. She's mine.

Chapter 7:

As dawn broke in the OZ, DG slowly opened one eye, then closed it again. She was tired. She stuck her hand under her pillow to position it into a more comfortable spot and she stopped. Where was her notebook? She sat up, fully awake now.

Before she wrote that list, she would not have cared if the little book went missing. But now, now it was bad. She turned and wildly searched her bed. It wasn't there. She bent down to look under the bed, but it wasn't there either. She then looked on the bedside table and gave a sigh of relief. There was the notebook, sitting on the table.

DG smiled and picked it up.

"I probably just put it there because it was uncomfortable." She thought to herself. But, when she thought about it, last night, after Cain had laid her down, she had felt the familiar hard cover of the book through her thin pillow, right before drifting off to sleep. Then, when she woke up, it hadn't been there.

That left one explanation.

Someone had moved it. And she was willing to bet her crown as to who it was.

DG hurriedly got up and threw on some clothes. She had kept her jeans, much to her mother and the seamstress's horror. But she like them, so she had hidden them, and used them when she needed something to throw on. Like now, for instance

When she was dressed, she quickly exited her room, almost knocking into Lydia, her maid. Quickly, she grabbed Lydia's shoulders and held her in place.

"Lydia, I need you to tell me something, and I want the truth. Trust me, I won't be mad, but I need the truthful answer!" she said, a little more forcefully than she had intended. Lydia's eyes widened and she nodded at DG.

"Of course Princess. Nothing but the truth!" she replied.

"Did you go into my room this morning and take the notebook from under my pillow? Did you put it on the table?" DG asked the girl. Lydia just looked confused.

"No your highness. I haven't been in your room since yesterday, when I cleaned up." She answered. DG groaned.

"Ugh. Ok, thank you Lydia. You may go." She said, waving a hand.

Lydia turned to go, but just as she was about to leave, DG grabbed her arm again.

"One more question. Has anyone been in my room since last night? Do you know?"

Lydia looked a little alarmed now, but shook her head.

"No miss. No one has been in your room. Mr. Cain, the Tin Man, left last night though, and the guard said he looked, well, distracted, I guess. That's it though Miss."

DG thanked her and waved her off. Then she dashed back into her room and grabbed the little notebook from the bedside table and dashed back out of her room once more. She ran down the hall towards Az's chambers, and as soon as she got there, she burst in, not even taking time to knock.

As usual, Azkadellia was already awake, sitting quietly on her couch reading a book. She looked up, slightly alarmed, when DG came in, but then when she saw who it was, her face relaxed.

"Hey little sister, are you alright?" she asked DG, who must have had a look of pure terror on her face.

"Am I alright? HA! NO! How can I be alright when Wyatt freaking Cain just read my Christmas list?" she practically yelled. Az's eyes widened.

"Your Christmas list? You mean that list of things that you want most in the world?"

DG nodded.

"Well, how bad can it be? I mean, what was on the thing to make it so terrible for him to read it?" she asked. DG just flipped open her notebook and went straight to the Christmas list. Then she tossed the little book at Az. Her sister caught it with ease and looked down at the page. Her eyes widened with shock.

"Oh my god Deej! That's um, well, I can see why you're upset." She said. DG just collapsed onto her sister's bed.

"Oh god Az, what am I going to do? I just can't believe he read it! I hid it! And he just took it and read it, without even thinking. UGH!" she said. A single tear made its way down her pale face. Az stood and went over to her sister. She sat beside the younger girl and put her arm around her shoulder.

"DG, men can be idiots. I mean, he probably didn't know what was in the notebook. And I'm sure he didn't take it to spite you. He probably saw it and was going to put it back on shelf or something. And, you don't need to worry that he doesn't feel the same way.

'Cause trust me on this one, he's basically the only one that doesn't know he loves you. Him and you. No offence little sister, but you are a little oblivious." Az said teasingly. DG just gave a tiny smile.

"Really?" she asked. Her voice was small, and for the first time, Az really saw that her sister was scared.

"DG, I'm your older sister. Would I ever lie about something like this? He loves you, and he's just, well, stubborn. It might take him a little while to figure it out." She said. DG laughed.

"I guess your right."

"Of course I am. I'm your sister. We're always right." Az said, laughing. DG cracked a smile too, and then leaned her head on Az's shoulder.

"Oh jeez. I'm in love with him. And I thought things were complicated before." She muttered. Az laughed, then got up, pulling DG along with her.

"Come on Deej, lets get something to eat." She said, pulling her sister out of the room and down into the kitchens.

A/N: So? What did you think? I hope you liked it! Hehe, in the next chapter there's gonna be some DG and Cain interaction. I know, its annoying waiting for the next chapter, but I promise to update soon! Anyway, you know that us authors thrive on hearing from you lovely readers, so leave a review to tell me what you think! Please and Thank you!


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: So, I've had this horrid feeling that I've been neglecting you, and so I decided to sit down and write another chapter. I hope you like it Yay for C/DG interaction!

Chapter 8:

Two weeks.

That's how long he had been avoiding her. Two whole weeks, and it was driving her insane. Gone was the friendly conversation between the two of them. Gone were the looks of amusement that were shared when dealing with pesky courtiers. Gone were the days when they could sit and laugh together about life.

Now, there was silence. Everywhere she went, he was there, silently standing in the corner when she dealt with princess issues. He watched her with his intense blue eyes never leaving her, yet he never said a word.

Oh how she would love to kill him right abut now.

Ever since that conversation they had, ever since he found the list. DG knew. She knew he had read it. She just did. And she couldn't take this any more. She needed to talk to him.

She had just gotten done speaking to one of the foreign dignitaries about some important political issue or another, and was ready to collapse onto her bed and never get up again.

Who knew running the world could be so much work?

As she reached her room, she opened the door, and then stopped, looking back at her silent shadow. She held the door open for him, but he ignored it. Rolling her eyes, she stalked over to him and, grabbing him roughly by the arm, dragged him into her room.

They had no sooner gotten into the room when DG slammed the door and whipped around to glare at Cain. He just stared at her blankly.

"Is there something you need me to do, your highness?" he asked calmly. DG's eyes flared.

"Don't pull that whole "Your Highness" thing on me buddy! For the last two weeks, you've been completely silent to me, and its bugging the hell out of me. So do me a favor and snap out of it!" she practically yelled. He stood before her, his eyes never leaving hers, but said nothing, except for:

"Is that an order, your highness?"

With that, the young princess snapped.

"Damn it Cain! Just get over it! Ok? I don't know what the hell is wrong with you, but please, for the love of god, just get over it! I know you read my list! I know that you read it! And I also know that if you wanted me to be even slightly happy, you would talk to me again! You would acknowledge my presence when we're together!" she stopped, face flushed, and glared at the Tin Man.

He stood there, speechless, until something clicked in his brain.

"Wait, you…know?" he asked her. She rolled her eyes.

"Of course I know you idiot! You left the book in the wrong place."

"You knew, and you didn't say anything?"

"You wouldn't have listened!"

"If I knew you knew, I would have."

"Oh yeah right! Cain, if you don't feel the same way, I get it, just please, don't put me through this. I miss you!" she cried. He shook his head.

"It can't work." He told her quietly.

"Why? Why not?"

"Just, because. It won't."

"Oh get over yourself Cain. Wake up and smell the coffee! Things don't have to be perfect!" She took a step closer to him.

"Just please Cain. Today, please, lets be friends. Then, you can go back to being the stubborn, pig-headed, idiot that you are being right now. Tonight is Christmas Eve, a night of happiness and love."

Cain looked at DG and closed his eyes for one moment, snapping them open when he felt her soft hand on his upper arm. His ice blue eyes met her ocean ones, and he gave a tiny nod to her.

She broke into a grin and hugged him tightly. But, feeling him stiffen, she let go hurriedly.

"Sorry." She said quietly. He smiled and shook it off.

"For what?"

DG smiled brightly.

"Come on Cain, will you walk with me?"

"Of course Princess. Always."

A/N: So, there was the interaction. I think this story will have two more chapters, one for Christmas Eve and one for Christmas day, but I'm not sure…. But I have the next chapter brewing in my head. All I need is an all-nighter and a shot of espresso and I'm sure it will fully form. Haha, anyway, you know what I'm gonna ask next. I will love you forever if you leave a review! So, tell me if you love it, hate it, or just want to say hi! Tootles, until next chapter! cackles evilly


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Hey guys! I'm so sorry for not updating sooner, but there's been a lot of stuff happening lately. Plus, my muse is in great need of Starbucks, and I can't find my money, so she refused to come out. But, anyway, in the end, Starbucks and guilt prevailed, and, without further ado, I give you the next chapter!

* * *

Chapter 9

DG giggled as she twirled in front of her mirror. She had insisted on having the entire family, plus Glitch, Raw, Cain and Jeb come and have dinner with her. She and Az and decided to dress up for the night, and they were currently in DG's walk-in closet, trying on every outfit she had and laughing like they were young again.

"Oh-oh gosh Az, I haven't laughed this hard since…well, I can't even remember!" DG exclaimed, once the two had calmed down a bit. Az smiled and nodded.

"Me neither. Oh jeez Deej, we've certainly changed over the years, haven't we?" Az asked her sister, lying her head on DG's shoulder. DG smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, we sure have."

The two sat for a while, contemplating themselves in the mirror, before Azkadellia sat up.

"All right, enough playing around. If you want to look your best tonight for Cain, we've got some serious work to do." She said.

She dodged DG's hand as her sister tried to smack her arm, and started rummaging through the dresses hanging up. DG went to help her, and they soon pulled out five different dresses. Az picked up a bright pink one that had small sequins embroidered on the bottom.

"Who in their right mind would even wear that?" Az asked DG, appalled.

"Oh I don't know, it might look good on you." Her little sister joked. This time it was she who dodged a smack. The pink dress was flung into a corner, and Az picked up another one. This one was longer, a dark green color, and was made of satin. Az held it up to DG and made a face.

"Definitely not your color." She said, and the green dress joined the pink in the corner.

Picking up another dress, Az held it up to DG, her eyes lighting up, and she thrust it into her sister's hands.

"Try this one." She commanded. DG rolled her eyes, but tried on the dress nonetheless.

It was beautiful. It was made of dark purple fabric that fell to just about her knees, just a little above. The waist was tailored to fit her exactly, and the bodice was covered by black lace. DG twirled in the mirror, admiring her reflection. She turned to Az and smiled.

"It's perfect!" she said happily. Then she looked her sister up and down.

"All right, now that we found me a dress, you gotta have one!" she laughed, and pulled her sister out of her closet and down the hall to her room. They entered Azkadellia's closet and DG looked around.

Az had most of the clothes the witch had made her wear burned after the eclipse, and her closet was now stocked full of light, loose dresses. Not a corset was in sight. DG ran to the back wall and picked out a light blue dress and ran back to Az. She held it up to her sister, but within a second had tossed it onto the bench occupying the middle of the closet. Az laughed and sat on the bench while DG rushed around, looking for suitable dresses.

After trying on more than ten dresses, DG finally brought out a light green dress and gave it to Az to try on. Rolling her eyes, the elder princess did as she was told and stood in front to the mirror. The dress fell to just below her knees, since that was as short as she would allow one of her dresses to be, and the sleeves were short. It hugged her curves in a sophisticated way and made her look extremely pretty and young, like a girl who was on her first date, not like one that had just been freed from the clutches of and evil witch.

Az smiled lightly as DG squealed with delight, and she gave a spin. As she turned, she caught sight of a very familiar face. She stopped dead and stared over DG's shoulder at the face of Jeb Cain. He smiled hesitantly. She immediately became flustered and cleared of a seat on the couch for him.

"Hello, Jeb, how are you?" DG asked cheerily. Jeb shrugged and said,

"Oh, I'm fine. And you, princess?"

"I'm fine. Az and I are trying to find dresses for tonight's dinner. What do you think of Az's." she asked him, noticing how his eyes kept wandering over to her older sister. Having and actual reason to look at her, his eyes slowly traveled the length of her body. He smiled at her.

"You look beautiful, Princess." He said softly. A bright blush made it's way over Az's cheeks at his compliment.

"Thank you, Mr. Cain." She said, her eyes downcast.

"Please, call me Jeb. Mr. Cain sounds far too much like my father." He said, a soft smile playing around his mouth. Azkadellia smiled too.

"Well, then, I insist you call me Az. Princess sounds far too formal."

"As you wish." He said, bowing his head slightly. In the background DG rolled her eyes at her sister, and Az had to suppress a giggle.

"Er, is there a particular reason you came to see me, Jeb?" Az asked politely.

"Oh, uh, yeah. I, um, well, I was just…coming to see if you were alright." He finally got out. He seemed about to say something else, but stayed silent. Az looked disappointed.

"Oh. Well, as you can see, I'm perfectly fine. You can wait outside of my chambers, if you wish." She said, doing her best to hide her disappointment. Jeb nodded and stood.

"If you need anything…" he said, trailing off. Azkadellia smiled and nodded.

"We'll call." She said. Jeb nodded and bowed once more to her and DG, and then left the room.

As soon as DG heard the door to Az's chamber shut, she glared at Az.

"What?" her sister said, knowing the question about to be posed.

"You have a thing for JEB?" DG asked loudly. Az clamped a hand over her little sister's mouth.

"Do you want to blow the whole thing? Jeez DG, why don't you hold a ball and announce it to the whole world. Gods!" she exclaimed. DG stuck out her tongue, licking the palm of Az's hand.

"UGH!" She squealed.

DG glared at her sister, putting one hand on her hip.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I knew you liked his father, and I thought you would think it strange. Plus, well, he's younger than me. In fact, he's younger than you!"

"SO? Wyatt is much older than me and I still love him!"

"Yes…well… this is different."

"Yeah? How so?"

"Er, he's my bodyguard, and uh…" Az trailed off, for she couldn't think of another reason why they shouldn't be together. DG smirked and rolled her eyes.

"Wyatt is my bodyguard. And, don't pull the whole 'princesses-don't-marry-commoners' thing. If princesses didn't marry commoners, we wouldn't be here, dearest sister of mine. So yeah, admit it. You totally like him. And I can see why. He's almost as cute as his dad."

Az glared at her.

"That SO didn't sound right." She muttered.

"Yeah, well, deal with it Az. There's something about those Cain men."

* * *

A/N: So, there you have it. Finally! I know it's really late and all, but it's always nice to spread a little holiday cheer around. Especially when there are Princesses, Cains and spiked eggnog involved! Haha, well, I hope you liked it, and I PROMISE to have the next chapter up as SOON as possible. Trust me, I would have written it into this chapter, but there wasn't really enough room. So leave me some feedback, whether you liked it, hated it, or just wan to berate me for waiting to freaking long with this chapter, please and thank you! 


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: After getting such an enthusiastic response to the last chapter, I just had to sit down and write the next one, before it escaped. This chapter is mainly Jeb/Az, but I promise the next chapter will have mucho of the Cain/DG fluff Anyhoo, I think you'll like this chapter, so feel free to leave a review telling me if you did or not. Hehe, ok, and now I give you…

Chapter 10

DG, her family and her friends all sat in the drawing room after a large, wonderfully festive meal. DG had helped the chefs prepare it especially, and she had even made the eggnog herself.

"Mom, have you ever tried eggnog?" DG asked innocently. Her mother laughed and nodded.

"Once, when Azkadellia was just a little girl, your father made some, and I made the mistake of trying it." She made a face at Ahamo.

"She didn't know it had alcohol in it." He said conspiratorially to the others. DG laughed and Az blushed lightly.

"Well, sorry to say mom, but mine has a little bit of booze in it, but not much." She said, still laughing.

"You want to come and help me Az?" she said, holding out her hand to her sister. Az nodded and stood. The two headed out of the room and down to the kitchen where the eggnog was sitting in the fridge.

DG pulled out the big bowl and handed it to Az, who put it on the counter carefully. Then the two women found a large tray and some glasses. Carefully, they poured some eggnog into each cup, until they were equal. DG picked up the tray and was about to leave the kitchen when an idea struck her. Putting the tray down again, she turned to Az.

"I wonder what alcohol does to Cain?" she said, more than a hint of laughter in her voice. Az's eyes went wide and she glared at DG.

"You're not thinking about doing what I think you're thinking about doing, are you?" she asked. DG just smirked. She went to the place where they kept the alcohol and pulled out a bottle of whiskey. She rushed over to the glasses and picked one up.

"DG, no! You don't know what Cain will do when he is drunk!" Az said, although she looked highly amused too. DG rolled her eyes and proceeded to pour a generous amount into the glass. Mixing it with a spoon, she held it in her hand so that she wouldn't accidentally give it to someone else. Az glared at her sister and grabbed the tray away from her.

"I swear, if we get in trouble for this…" she trailed off, still huffing.

DG laughed.

"Don't worry; I'll take care of him. I'll make sure he doesn't do anything stupid." She said.

The two of them came back into the room and Cain's eyes went to DG immediately. He couldn't help but notice she looked amazing in the dress, and he looked her up and down appreciatively before he realized what he was doing. Quickly he averted his eyes and started a conversation with Glitch.

DG approached him and tapped his shoulder softly. He turned and she handed him the glass. He took it and looked at it for a second, then lifted it to his lips and took a big gulp.

The alcohol didn't take effect immediately; it took about half an hour to start kicking in. Cain kept taking small sips from his drink, and becoming increasingly tipsy. His words began to slur slightly and DG grinned widely.

Her parents decided to retire for the night after about 10:00, and they bid the company goodnight. Wyatt leapt up and embraced both the Queen and the Prince Consort, then began to giggle madly. The queen was shocked, and left quickly, but Ahamo sent DG a

"I know what you did, don't bother denying it." Look before he left the room. DG began to laugh with Cain, and soon the two were on the floor laughing their heads off. Azkadellia sent Jeb a look and he silently agreed that they should probably leave. The two got up and left, but not before DG called out

"Watch out for mistletoe you two! Its that little green plant hanging above the doors! You have to KISS when you're under it!"

Az looked slightly horrified, and she rushed out of the room. Jeb followed her, taking one last look at his drunk father. Then he hurried after Az.

The walk up to her room was silent and a little awkward. Jeb kept sneaking glances at Az when he thought she wasn't looking and vice versa. When they got to her chambers, Az turned to Jeb.

"Well, um, this is where I have to go." She said. Mentally she as cursing herself for sounding so silly.

"Yeah. I guess it is." Jeb said, a little sadly. They both stood facing each other, looking anywhere but into the others eyes. Then, just as Az was about to open the door, a small green something caught her eye. She jerked her head up and stared, open-mouthed at the little plant. Jeb followed her gaze and his mouth formed a thin line. He brought his eyes back to her face, and gulped.

"Mistletoe…" He whispered. Az just nodded.

"May I?" he asked her, and again, she just nodded. The two leaned in closer to one another, and slowly, ever so slowly, Jeb lowered his lips to hers. Azkadellia sighed and leaned in closer, deepening the kiss. Jeb wrapped his arms around her petit waist and pulled her flush up against him while her hands went up and tangled with the hair at the nape of his neck. His lips were soft, and they moved perfectly against hers, and Az couldn't help but think how perfect this was. Finally, the need for oxygen separated them, and Jeb looked at Az in amazement. She returned his gaze, and as soon as she had caught her breath she pulled his back down and attacked his lips with hers.

She pushed open her door and the two fell in, still kissing madly. Jeb pulled away and Az groaned.

"Azkadellia, we've got to stop." He gasped, his arms still holding her tight to his body. She looked at him in confusion.

"Why?" she asked. It seemed so right to her.

"Because," he said, and kissed her lightly below the ear. "if we don't stop now, I don't think I'll be able to a little later." He whispered into her ear. Az blushed, but nodded.

"Well, I guess you should go then, 'cause I might not care what happens if you keep kissing me like that." She whispered back to him. He smiled at her and they walked over to the door.

Turning back to her, Jeb pulled her to him one more time and kissed her passionately. Then he pulled away and stepped out of her room, glancing at her one more time before smiling and walking down the hall to his room.

As soon as he was out of sight, Az shut her door and slid down to the floor, a happy smile fixed upon her lips. She slowly got up and changed into her nightgown and clambered into her bed. The last though she had before drifting off to sleep was:

"I could get used to this Christmas stuff"

A/N: ATTACK OF THE FLUFF!! Hehe, well, I hope you liked it. I might change the rating in the next chapter. Just a warning. Oh, and also, in the next chapter, it is what is happening when Jeb and Az are up in her room. So yeah, it's not the next day or anything. Ok, I'll just stop now, 'cause I'm babbling. But I really hoped you liked it! See!! I got this chapter up much sooner!


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